According to WaterEducation.org, one-acre foot equals about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land, about the size of a football field, one foot deep.

An average California household uses between one-half and one acre-foot of water per year for indoor and outdoor use, according to the website.

Initially, water recharge was seemingly done for individual cities. Recent state regulations make water recharge a regional effort.

"It's good to know we have water for recharge," DeFlitch said. "We have to keep those aquifers."

The two entities worked on system maintenance until late last year. Water deliveries started early this year.

"We had to shift from maintenance mode to operational mode and we started moving water," DeFlitch said.

Hendrix said the district's water delivery system was turned off recently, ending a successful water delivery season.

Dealing with a challenge

DeFlitch said the Friant Water Authority received some bad news during the busy water delivery season.

A portion of the Kern-Friant Canal in southern Tulare County, at Avenue 88, sunk, presenting a challenge in delivering water. DeFlitch said pumps were brought out and Lake Woollomes was used as a reservoir.

DeFlitch said the challenge was met and water was delivered. The Friant Water Authority delivers water for several cities in the Central Valley and about a million acres of farm land.

It is estimated it would cost about $500 million to fix the sinking water canal. DeFlitch said a solution is in the "planning stages."

Looking forward

Hendrix said TID personnel is back on maintenance projects, preparing for the upcoming winter.

And while long-range weather forecasts are unreliable, Hendrix said he is hoping for another wet winter and busy water season.

"We are looking ahead," he said. "We will catch up on maintenance. If it turns out to be a wet winter, we will be ready."

DeFlitch said the wet winter gives a water delivering agency a leg up for the upcoming year.

"There's the high possibility there will full water allotments next year," he said.

Waterwise is a news and notes column Reporter Luis Hernandez compiles. Send waterwise ideas and suggestions to the reporter on twitter @lfhernanvtd.